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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24533872">A New World</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightMaster15/pseuds/TwilightMaster15'>TwilightMaster15</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Death Note (Anime &amp; Manga)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Blood and Violence, Despair, F/M, Killing Game (Dangan Ronpa), M/M, Mental Instability, Mind Control, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Redemption</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-04</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-03-27</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 10:08:51</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>12,300</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24533872</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/TwilightMaster15/pseuds/TwilightMaster15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Cornered in the Yellowbox Warehouse, Light manages to escape by revealing himself as the 16th Remnant of Despair and calling for help from two of his own, without a notebook but causing losses to the stunned members of the task force and the SPK.</p><p>Now, the de facto successor to Junko Enoshima and leader of both the Remnants of Despair and the misguided Warriors of Hope, it's Light's turn to play, and he is no longer playing nice. Under Light's guidance, the Remnants are rapidly gaining ground and causing catastrophe to tear down the world and build it anew.</p><p>As the newest members of the Future Foundation, Aizawa, Matsuda, and Near work with the killing game survivors to gather up the Remnants. When Makoto Naegi suggests a way to bring the Remnants back to their original selves with the help of AI versions of the late Chiaki Nanami and L Lawliet, it is a method hesitantly accepted, until everything goes wrong upon Junko and Monokuma ending up in the Neo World Program, and later the Future Foundation members end up in a killing game of their own.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>30</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>I was going through Danganronpa and there were so many references to Death Note in all the games, especially 2 and V3, that I have a headcanon that in the Danganronpa universe, Light was a canon Remnant of Despair the whole time, but the SPK got to him before the Future Foundation. </p><p>This is what would have happened if he just called for help and gave up on pretenses.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>"In the end, you're nothing but a crazy serial killer. That's all you are. Nothing more, and nothing less."</p><p>Light absently looked towards the rest of the task force, fighting back the giggle threatening to build up.<em> Useless fools, as if they could ever understand. </em>But how could they? It was laughable. He should have just let Junko at them all those years ago, but no, he had decided he would drag them to Despair himself. Judging by the look on Matsuda's face, he was doing a pretty good job of that. The others looked like they had prepared for this.</p><p>Crime rates had dropped in the world, but that was more because there were very few to record these crimes. Tokyo had not been targeted yet, as Light was still here creating a false peace and extremely low crime, but now that he was exposed, that was all going to change. All war had stopped when the tragedy began, too busy dealing with their own travesties.</p><p>It was disappointing to have lost, but after years of boredom, he was okay with this ending. Either way, he was brought the Despair he had grown to desire, and while there was a chance he would soon be given the Final Despair of death, he still had one card to play, and perhaps he could be amused. Mikami couldn't get the job done, but this way, either he died, or he could live with no more pretenses. </p><p>"All I am?" Nobody noticed Light pulling out his phone and sending an alert message to his emergency contact who always stayed in Japan, causing the least damage by comparison to the others, so she could come to his aid if the need arose. "Well, there is one thing I am, but I don't feel I should tell you quite yet."</p><p>Perhaps he got cocky, sending the alert to Nekomaru as well, as that was when Matsuda noticed and fired his gun straight through Light's hand. The sudden pain had him staggering back, but he quickly righted himself. </p><p>He could tell the others expected him to whimper and clutch at his hand to stop the bleeding, but no. He simply held the wounded appendage up, the hole in his hand there for all to see as he examined it absently. Infection was bound to set in if he didn't get this cleaned. Not that it mattered. </p><p>He looked towards the rest of the task force, his voice eerily calm, "Matsuda, you idiot," he said softly, as he could already tell a quiet approach was much more disturbing to the task force. Besides, all he needed to do now was buy himself some time, and unnerving them had proven time and time again to work splendidly, "Who the hell do you think you're shooting at?"</p><p>"What was it all for, then?" Matsuda panted, tears in his eyes, "What about your Dad? What the hell did he die for?"</p><p>"My Dad? What did he die for?" Light lowered his hand, revealing his swirling eyes and demented grin to match, "Despair. That's all." </p><p>Matsuda looked at him, his face angled in such a way that Light couldn't see his eyes, "You led your father to his death," he rasped, forcing out the words as best he could, "For <em>Despair</em>?! I thought your goal was to better the world, no matter how far you've strayed!" Light shrugged in response, his bleeding hand nothing but a nuisance,</p><p>"Ah, but here's the thing. Human nature is cold and corrupt, so to keep chasing a child's dream is so despairing that every step forward is also a step back." He looked towards Near, "The only way to achieve peace is through fear, but at the same time, that's not a world I want. So it's best to just accept the Despair and bring the world to ruin and build anew." He scoffed quietly, "I'm starting to sound like Komaeda." </p><p>Matsuda shot him. Again, and again, and again, with a shout of "I'll kill him!" And all Light could do was grin through the pain. What a miserably joyous day this was! Perhaps he could drag Matsuda down into Despair with them, if he hadn't already if those heartbroken shouts of, "I'll kill him! He has to die!" said anything on the matter.</p><p>"Hehe....hehe.... hahahahahahahahaha!" There was something different about this laugh, no longer smug or holding any pleasure. To those who didn't understand, there was no reason to laugh in such a hopeless situation, but this felt so good in a way they would never understand.</p><p>Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered what his father would think, seeing his son laughing and panting like an animal in heat after getting shot and revealed to be Kira. Just the thought of that heartbroken expression brought him even more Despair, and he laughed harder.</p><p>Everyone else seemed to accept this was the end of things, leaving him to laugh until he tired himself. The expressions of everyone in the room was that of bittersweet victory. Near was the one to see a problem with the deranged laughing,</p><p>"Kira, why do you laugh?"</p><p>"This feeling..." Light panted, not bothering to sit up from the puddle he lay in, with dirty water soaking his clothes, and he felt it sloshing in the entrances to the bullet holes through his body, "I know it well... Like the floor is collapsing... like the sky is falling down upon you..."</p><p>It was around this time that everyone caught onto Near's train of thought, and everything they had believed for years was even further thrown on its head. Aizawa was the one to ask, "Light, is this what I think is it?" </p><p>Light stopped laughing or smiling, turning his head to face Aizawa with a look of total apathy as he rolled to face the officer, who he hated so much that he wanted to see him die painfully, or maybe keep him alive for his own misery. Ah yes, tear Aizawa's family apart limb from limb, and make him watch. Such a plan sounded splendid.</p><p>"And what, pray tell, do you think this is?" He blinked, smiling sweetly, "Or have you figured it out?"</p><p>"The tragedy..." Mogi gasped, pointing at Light with wide, horrified eyes, "You're a—"</p><p>"Remnant of Despair?" Light asked, sitting up, ignoring the pain through his whole body and the blood spilling out, making him lightheaded, "That's what you call the Ultimates and me, right? I rejected my place at Hope's Peak long ago, but it seems<em> she</em> still found me."</p><p>"She?"</p><p>"The mastermind behind it all." Near explained, "Junko Enoshima, right?"</p><p>Light was unable to confirm or deny the statement by Mikami's heartbroken cry, "God, why would you—"</p><p>Light scoffed at such a pitiful display, "It's hard to live with constant Despair without beginning to take pleasure in it." He grinned in Mikami's direction, "I would prefer not to taste the Final Despair quite yet, but an ending as such is fine. Just accept it, Mikami, welcome Despair with open arms, and you will be brought true peace."</p><p>"What the hell kind of peace is that?!" Matsuda shrieked, "Light, what happened to you to make you like this? Have you really been this way all this time?!"</p><p>Light gave an odd little giggle, which was hard to get out with the newfound difficulty breathing, "My secret."</p><p>It would have been interesting if Mikami had embraced the lifestyle taught by Junko Enoshima, but for him to use his pen and stab himself straight through the heart with impressive strength worked well enough too.</p><p>The distraction worked well, as nobody paid Light any heed anymore, so he got up. No point in waiting for a rescue when he knew that running upped his chances, and would still bring death to those stupid enough to follow. Perhaps his years with the Remnants had more use than he had thought, or this was adrenaline. Whatever it was, he could function just fine once the initial shock of being shot had faded. The pain meant nothing as he raced out the door.</p><p>He knew he was different from the other Remnants, who had been directly brainwashed. Even now, Light would admit something similar had happened to him. However, it hadn't changed everything about him, instead giving him a new perspective, and a way to cope with the sacrifices needing to be made and the boredom brought by any form of peace. It was just a coping mechanism that came with powerful, albeit twisted, allies.</p><p>And from those allies and an inevitable rescue would come a new Kira, one who didn't pretend anymore. He no longer had a Death Note, but suspected Ryuk—wait...</p><p>He smirked, getting an idea.</p><p>First things first, he needed a place to rest and to hide. As long as he stayed in the general area of these warehouses, Akane would find him.</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>"Wait, Light!" Matsuda called after him, shocked that Light could stand, let alone sprint. It was all so impossible... that Light was Kira,<em> and </em>he was a Remnant of Despair...</p><p>Those eyes... The darkness in those eyes shone brightly as if layers upon layers of darkness were folding into each other. As if Hope and Despair had been crudely mixed together.</p><p>Everyone had accepted the idea that Kira was working against the Remnants, and fought in the name of Hope. That was why the police continued to only have one small task force against Kira and focused all their efforts on the Remnants. For Kira and the Remnants to be allied was catastrophic. </p><p>Had they done the right thing? Matsuda wondered because, with Light exposed, there was nothing to keep him in check. Hell, he could become even more dangerous now, a known follower of the Despair.</p><p>"He's getting away!" Aizawa shouted, "Light!"</p><p>"Mr. Aizawa." Near's words made them all stop in their tracks, "It's unlikely he has any more access to the notebook. And with those wounds, he's not going to go far. He'll stop running soon, even if we leave him alone."</p><p>Aizawa paused, before glaring, "Near, I'm not going to follow your orders." Near was taken aback, before scoffing,</p><p>"Your funeral. Light's probably already called the other Remnants who are in Japan for assistance. The others who are scattered around the world will hear the news of Light being caught, and the group will become even more dangerous. We should get out of here while we can before anyone else dies today."</p><p>Halle stepped forward, "He did mention he had been accepted into Hope's Peak—that could have easily made him a target for Enoshima."</p><p>Ide frowned, "Enoshima?"</p><p>"Junko Enoshima," Stephen explained, "Has been the prime suspect for causing the tragedy ever since it began at Hope's Peak. Nothing has been confirmed while the students are all locked up, but Light saying the mastermind is female does assist in that theory."</p><p>"Yes," Near agreed, "And it is essential to find out why he rejected it, and what his Ultimate Talent is. It should lead us to some answers about how dangerous Light is, even without the notebook. But if you wish to go after Light now, very well. I'll leave it up to you."</p><p>Aizawa sighed, "There's nobody better than Light to give us these answers, and maybe how to catch the other Remnants—and learn who they even are. Come on," he ordered the rest of the task force, who followed him.</p><p>Matsuda paused when he heard two new voices, one male and one female, calling for Light.</p><p>"Huh?" He saw those same people run into a different warehouse, and Matsuda was taken aback and panicked by the appearances of the two. Was it true? Were those two people who couldn't be older than Light really Remnants of Despair.</p><p>Aizawa, Ide, and Mogi didn't notice the two. The only reason Matsuda followed was to warn them, "Guys, wait!"</p><p>But it was too late. Aizawa, Mogi, and Ide had already entered the warehouse. Only Matsuda had a weapon, but he only had two bullets left, not nearly enough to take out the hulking people he had seen unless he had a precise headshot.</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>"Light, what the hell happened to you?!" Aizawa heard a woman shout from upstairs, and he instantly realized this had been a bad idea if this woman really was a Remnant of Despair and also an Ultimate.</p><p>But it was too late to run as a man who was even larger than Mogi came down, cradling Light in his arms like a doll, staining his white attire red with Light's blood. Aizawa tensed, seeing all the blood, and how Light's formerly tan face was as pale as a sheet. He was Kira and a Remnant, Aizawa knew this, but it was still difficult to see someone he had worked with for years in such a state. At the moment, Light seemed to not be unconscious yet, but his half-lidded eyes said he was pretty close.</p><p>The woman came down as well, untying the wrapped up chains along her wrists, turning the accessory into a weapon, "Well, who are you? Are these the people who did this to you, Light?" </p><p>Light turned his head a little, and Aizawa instantly knew they were screwed as Light sent him a smug expression that had "fuck you" written all over it.</p><p>And then he nodded.</p><p>Blood rained down. </p><p>To Aizawa's surprise, he was still alive and being pulled away by Matsuda, who was running at top speeds to the point Aizawa found it hard to keep up. But he had seen the horror Matsuda had saved him from. Of Ide's head being torn clean off by that woman, and of Mogi being suffocated by those chains, gore and pieces of flesh raining down, and all of it in barely a second—she had moved so fast!</p><p>They stopped running a good distance away, and Aizawa sank to his knees, tearing at this hair. No... no, no, no, that cannot have happened. Light was supposed to have been captured and imprisoned, or proven innocent if they were lucky and defying the odds. Either way, it was supposed to end tonight, but it had anything but.</p><p>No... they had revealed Light as a Remnant of Despair... even if he wasn't Kira anymore, this had only just begun. </p><p>No, he couldn't give in to the pain and turmoil, or he could end up no better than Light. What the hell had happened to him?! He knew masochism was a thing, but Light had looked on the brink of orgasm after getting shot. <em> That </em> was not normal.</p><p>They would have to ask Near more about Junko Enoshima, to see what she had done to convert the Remnants of Despair into what they were now. There was no way they had always been like this. All of them had been accepted into Hope's Peak. That was the connection between them.</p><p>"I know you're still here," the woman growled, as though she was thrilled by the hunt, "Come on out, and maybe I'll be nicer to you."</p><p>"Akane," they heard Light whisperer, coughing, "I need to get to Mikan. I can tell you about Aizawa's family and drag him to Despair that way. Matsuda... I want him to suffer before death."</p><p><em> My family?! </em> Aizawa's eyes widened, peaking out as the Remnants ran, carrying Light to this "Mikan" person.</p><p>Matsuda placed a hand on Aizawa's shoulder, "We need to tell Near what's happened. Tending to Light's injuries will hopefully take a while, and that will be the time we get your family to safety." </p><p>Aizawa slumped, thinking about what he had seen become of his friends in that warehouse. They had lost so many on the task force, and now he had Matsuda—who was a lot more badass than expected.</p><p>"Matsuda," he felt his body mercilessly trembling, "I think this is just the beginning." </p><p>Matsuda nodded, "Unfortunately, I think you're right. And we don't stand a chance on our own against them."</p><p> </p><p>OoOoO</p><p> </p><p>Ryuk watched from the top of a high building, down at what had been happening, ecstatic that Light had called his friends for help, even though he had admitted to not wanting to get them involved except perhaps Komaeda. This meant their fun could continue, and things were even more interesting now.</p><p>Depending on what Nate River planned to do with the notebooks in the short amount of life he had left if the unused scrap of notebook paper in Light's watch had any say in it, Ryuk knew he may have to give Light another notebook. That was fine, he had plenty of spares for these situations, and it was so much fun seeing what would happen next. Of course, he would only give Light another notebook if 490 days passed, and he hadn't been able to retrieve the Death Notes from the SPK, but he had faith that his intervention wasn't needed.</p><p>"Well, Light," he said mostly to himself, "It looks like you've been revealed. You're lucky for your friends, or I would say you'd lost. Regardless, this is going to be interesting. Kira, the 16th Remnant of Despair—or perhaps the 1st, depending on how you look at it." He laughed but was startled by a new voice, from a young man around Light's age, even dressed like Light, with flowing black hair all the way down to his feet, and red eyes.</p><p>"Hello, Shinigami."</p><p>"Oh, would you look at that?" Ryuk was momentarily taken aback that a human could see him without touching the Death Note. Then he noticed the individual was balancing on a platform that no human should be able to stand on, and the fact he saw two names above this person's head instead of one, and he knew that this person was no longer entirely human. "Should I call you Izuru Kamukura, or do you prefer Hajime Hinata?"</p><p>"Hajime?" Izuru asked tiredly, "That name is foreign to me." The raven-haired man looked down at the scene below, "I must admit, the actor's death would have made things rather dull. So let's see whether Hope or Despair is more interesting." He looked back towards Ryuk, "So, Shinigami, which do you think is more entertaining?"</p><p>Ryuk shrugged, deciding he was already taking a liking to Izuru, "I don't care about Hope or Despair. It doesn't matter one way or the other. What matters is what a person chooses to do with their beliefs. Light has transitioned between the two, and he's been fascinating as both. Enoshima messed him up pretty badly, but even that was amusing to watch—watching him go from sobbing to suddenly finding pleasure in his misery. But she didn't do the same to you, am I right?"</p><p>"Junko Enoshima means nothing to me," Izuru explained, and Ryuk followed, knowing he would be able to find Light anytime. However, he was no fun while unconscious, and this superhuman as bored as a God of Death was so fascinating. "All she did was motivate me to seek entertainment, and so I am an observer." He then tossed up an apple to Ryuk out of nowhere, "I noticed you eying that cart we just passed. But anyway, you should return to the actor. I have somewhere to be."</p><p>"And where would that be?"</p><p>"None of your concern, but it is certain to make things more interesting and solve the question. Even if perspective doesn't matter, which side is more amusing overall."</p><p>Ryuk laughed, "Best of luck, Izuru, I look forward to it." </p><p>Izuru nodded, and then he was gone.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Near held an envelope in his hands, which had been given to him by the postman here. He sat alone in the medical ward of the Future Foundation headquarters, where himself, the SPK, and the remains of the task force were taking refuge.</p><p>He held his head in his hands, weeping quietly, remembering his failures. The Remnants of Despair had begun attacking in Light's name last night—whether Kira was still alive remained a mystery. And from the letter in his hands now, he understood why the attack had been the way it was.</p><p>It was from Mello, and after reading this, Near began to sob, realizing that if he had read this before, nobody would have died, and they would have known...</p><p>
  <em> Near, </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Typically, I would never give you a heads-up about anything or give you an advantage, especially as I know that even writing this will cost me my life. I don't know how long it will take you to get this, but if you are reading it, there is a very good chance I am dead. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> As you know, I worked for the mafia for some time. But things became ugly very fast when I discovered the Kuzuryu clan was tied to more than Yakuza, but gangs and mobs around the world, with their leader taking full control. You can guess by telling you this that I discovered he and his hitman were Remnants of Despair. I met him once, and at that time, I overheard him mention Kira as well as Light Yagami as though the two were interchangeable. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> When I went after the notebook, I had no choice but to kidnap Sayu Yagami as my second hostage, as it was to bring the Yagami family more despair. That had been my original plan, but upon even contemplating kidnapping Light Yagami instead, he made it clear I was too deep to try it. I'm not writing some sappy letter explaining that I had no choice or whatever—I did have a choice. I simply don't want the Remnants of Despair and especially not Kira, to win because I'm dead due to betrayal, and you are unprepared.  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> It is very likely that Light Yagami is a Remnant of Despair, and will call for backup. Be careful. </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Sincerely,  </em>
</p><p>
  <em> Mello. </em>
</p><p>Mello had known. If he had waited a couple more days, he would have gotten this, and they would have not only understood what they were up against, but they could have captured a Remnant of Despair and learned what had changed them.</p><p>But no, Halle had planned to take the notebooks somewhere safe and had been killed, and the Remnants' minions had stolen both. He knew that his life relied on Light being sadistic enough to let him live, but it was just as likely that his life would end very soon—the same applied to Aizawa and Matsuda. Already, the Remnants had taken out the rest of the SPK.</p><p>He looked up, seeing a woman he had learned was Chisa Yukizome had come in, probably to check on him.</p><p>"Well, it seems you aren't injured." She said, "Aizawa and Matsuda have already joined the Future Foundation as official members. Munakata wanted me to ask if you're interested." Near shrugged,</p><p>"I might as well." Yukizome brightened,</p><p>"Wonderful! I'll go find you a uniform!" She frowned, seeing his expression, "What's wrong?" He looked up,</p><p>"None of your business." Yukizome's expression was unreadable for a split second before she giggled,</p><p>"I understand, just have a little hope, okay? We're going to catch the Remnants of Despair. I'll be right back with your uniform." </p><p>Near just sighed in response.</p><p> </p><p>OoOoO</p><p> </p><p>"Excuse me," Aizawa called after searching, grabbing the wrist of who he was looking for, "You're Koichi Kizakura, right? The Hope's Peak Scout." The man turned to both Aizawa and Matsuda, grinning lazily,</p><p>"I am. I take it you're the new members." Matsuda nodded,</p><p>"Yeah. We need to ask you about someone you had scouted. Light Yagami." That caught Kizakura's attention, and he chuckled,</p><p>"Peculiar boy. I've never seen someone <em> reject </em> their spot at Hope's Peak." They walked down the hall, and Aizawa put his hands in his pocket,</p><p>"Yeah, well, we learned he is Kira and a Remnant of Despair. We need to know what his Ultimate Talent is."</p><p>"Actor," Kizakura replied simply, "And I knew he had a dark side, but I didn't expect Kira. I remember he sent a very polite letter in response to his acceptance letter, saying that while he was honored, he had never had an interest in acting and believed this had been sent to the wrong person. When I elaborated and said I wasn't referring to movie stars and such, but the talent to fool others, he simply said he could not accept such a position."</p><p>"Looks like he found a use for that talent later," Aizawa muttered darkly, frowning, "What class would he have been in?"</p><p>"77-B." Matsuda nodded,</p><p>"Thank you, sir." He grabbed hold of Aizawa, and they both walked away to speak privately. "Do you think the class Light was in had something to do with him being targeted by Enoshima?"</p><p>"I don't know."</p><p>Kizakura called out to them, "You two were on the Kira task force, correct?" Both nodded, and he gestured for them to follow, "Then there's something I think you'll be interested to see."</p><p>As they followed Kizakura, Near joined them, wearing a suit as well and not seeming happy about this. His eyes were also slightly puffy as though he had been crying. </p><p>They found themselves entering a particular room, and what they saw had them shocked to the core.</p><p>Of L's body, showing no signs of decay, in a peculiar pod, with wires connected to his head and brain leading towards a computer.</p><p>"L, the Former Ultimate Detective," Kizakura said, "One thing about being a former student, is that we get notice of the deaths of our students. Upon hearing about it, we had the Ultimate Archeologist dig him up and bring him to the Ultimate Neurologist and Ultimate Programmer—Yasuke Matsuda and Chihiro Fujisaki. Even though the two are unfortunately deceased, the process of keeping L's mind intact has been very successful. Of course, it also finished taking to affect right after we had found his successor."</p><p>Near tensed visibly, "His successor?"</p><p>"Yes, Kyoko Kirigiri, the new Ultimate Detective and successor to L."</p><p>Aizawa needed to sit down and process this information, while Near looked as though he had been slapped. L had been a student at Hope's Peak? He had another successor? He frowned, not being able to imagine L had actually gone to school and showed his face.</p><p>"L has another successor..." Near whispered. Kizakura nodded,</p><p>"Yes. However... have you three heard about what's happening at Hope's Peak recently?" All three shook their heads, having been too wrapped up in the Kira case to pay attention to anything involving the Tragedy. Kizakura turned on one of the televisions, and they were all horrified to see a killing game had been broadcasted, and only six students left after others had been murdered or horrifically executed. "Nobody can get in to help them. All we can hope is they will find a way out on their own."</p><p>"That's horrible!" Matsuda gaped, "Is Enoshima responsible for this?!"</p><p>"We assume so," Kizakura replied, looking to where Near had sat down, eyes wide and seems to have gone into shock, staring at L's body in the airtight pod, and the connections to a computer.</p><p>"I'm not alone..." he whispered, and Kizakura looked to Matsuda and Aizawa for an explanation.</p><p>"He, as well as a young man named Miheal Keehl, were also L's successors, and after Miheal's death, I suppose he thought he was the last of L's successors." Kizakura shrugged,</p><p>"Yes, well, he's not. You can try talking to L if you want to. Just not for long since we haven't perfected it. Miaya's working on that right now."</p><p>Aizawa and Matsuda bent down to the computer, and Matsuda began typing.</p><p>"Hello, L, this is Touta Matsuda." </p><p>After a moment, the screen flickered, and an image of L appeared, speaking aloud,</p><p>"I take it things have gone less than ideal if you're talking to me in Future Foundation Headquarters." Matsuda nodded, typing in the explanation of what had happened, causing L to look annoyed. "I've heard of the Remnants of Despair, so it comes to no surprise that Light-Kun would be among their ranks."</p><p>Aizawa needed to ask a question, "You were a student at Hope's Peak?"</p><p>"In a way," L explained, "I was accepted, so I was among my peers, but only by a laptop. I never went in person, so they never saw my face, but yes, I was in the 74th class alongside Chisa Yukizome, Kyosuke Munakata, and Juzo Sakakura."</p><p>Near came over, "There was a third successor?" </p><p>L paused for a moment, "You mean Kirigiri? I personally didn't select her since she wasn't at Wammy's House—Hope's Peak selected her. However, after looking at her accomplishments, having started her career even younger than I did, I decided she was a suitable third successor. On that topic, how is Mello? I heard Matt had been struck down by followers of the Remnants of Despair."</p><p>"Mello's... gone." Near sighed, "I thought I was alone." L's expression in the camera softened, </p><p>"Well, you're not anymore. I can't stay much longer until the system is perfected, but you can talk to me as you need, okay? And I expect you three to avenge my death." The three of them nodded, and the computer shut off. </p><p>Near was quiet, and Matsuda put a hand on his shoulder, only for Near to hold up an envelope and stand up, leaving the room after taking a look at L's body, his other fist clenched.</p><p>Aizawa scoffed, "The whole Kira case could have been solved if we had known L was still here. The Remnants of Despair appeared after L had died... does that mean Light became one of them long before the others?"</p><p>Matsuda ran his hands through messy raven hair, "I don't know, Aizawa, I just don't know." He looked up, "You should check on your kids, especially after..."</p><p>The memory of last night sent shivers up Aizawa's spine, the Future Foundation rushing to help Aizawa's family, seeing his children had hidden in a closet for safety. Still, their mother had been torn limb from limb, her body was mutilated almost beyond recognition.</p><p>For Aizawa, he was just relieved his children hadn't been physically harmed. As much as he felt awful for admitting it, the death of his abusive wife did not bring him nearly as much pain as it probably should have—perhaps because of the aforementioned<em> abuse</em>. </p><p>"Yeah, I should go." He headed to the Ultimate Therapist's office, where she had agreed to help his kids cope with what had happened. He tried not to think about the fact the Remnants of Despair had so quickly gotten their hands on both Death Notes, and if he and the other survivors of the Yellowbox Warehouse were going to be permitted to live, it was for a reason.</p><p> </p><p>OoOoO</p><p> </p><p>Light woke up and felt like roadkill immediately, finding himself in a luxury bedroom, with a heart monitor and an IV drip hooked up to him. He blinked a few times, sitting up and then remembering what had happened, and he opened his shirt, revealing he had been treated by Mikan, who had done a spectacular job, as always, as his wounds were already well on their way to healed.</p><p>He then noticed the Ultimate Imposter was with him—taking the form of Byakuya Togami, which explained this bedroom.</p><p>"You're finally awake," The Ultimate Imposter said—Light, nor anybody else had any idea what this man's real name was—helping Light sit up, "We were all worried about you. Akane said you had gotten attacked by the task force."</p><p>"Ah, yes," Light shrugged, "It doesn't matter, even though it was rather upsetting to be betrayed after so long working with them." He looked around, "Where's Mikan?" </p><p>"Giving some more medicines to hospitals," Light chuckled at the truth behind such innocent words, "While Ibuki and Akane went to go find a 'get well soon' gift for you."</p><p>Speak of the devil, Ibuki and Akane ran in, both holding a box, "Light!" Ibuki ran over and gave him the gift, "We have a surprise for you!"</p><p>Light opened the box and found Misa's severed head inside. He smiled, picking up the head by the hair, and thinking of how useless she had been. He thought about Rem, who had loved Misa so dearly, seeing her like this, her final expression that of terror. He grinned, genuinely very touched by the gesture,</p><p>"You guys, this means so much! And you have any idea how many people are going to be devastated by her death?" He then paused, "Misa had a supernatural amount of lifespan, how did you guys do it?" </p><p>Akane beamed, "That's the best part! Sonia actually sent in people to take the Death Notes back! Mikan accidentally opened your watch, so we used that piece to kill one SPK member and guarantee success, and now we have the notebooks. Check the bottom of the box." Light set the bloody head aside to finish bleeding all over the sheets, and he found both Death Notes.</p><p>He wondered why the hell he hadn't called them sooner if they could get all this done in... "How long have I been out?"</p><p>"Thirty-six hours," Mikan came in, sitting down seductively on the bed, though Light knew that was just how she was, and she had no real intention of trying anything with him. "You may need a cane to walk for a while, but you should be up and ready to go in the next three days. There are three people from the warehouse still alive, though I could easily take care of them." She giggled sadistically, and Light contemplated this,</p><p>"Maybe. However, wouldn't it be more satisfying to drag them into despair first?" Mutual nods all around and Ibuki got out her guitar,</p><p>"The world doesn't know about Misa's death yet, so Hiyoko and I are gonna be a little surprise for them at what was supposed to be Misa's next performance!" That sounded like a good plan, and Light laughed. He hadn't had to do anything, and finally, he had some competent people he could rely on. Of course, Fuyuhiko had been a massive help regarding the mafia, and he was grateful for his and Peko's assistance, and they even managed to bring his father some despair in the end, and by proxy Light, which was always good.</p><p>Sometimes, Light wondered if his father had realized in his final moments that Light had been a Remnant of Despair all along. He liked to imagine that, but even if that wasn't the case, he still had his mother and sister to deal with.</p><p>Not to mention, the task force had made a terrible mistake in revealing the existence of an orphanage trying to create successors for L. Light knew what really happened in that hell.</p><p>So many things to do, he considered, and his laugh grew deranged as he realized nothing was stopping him from doing all of it.</p>
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<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Remnants of Despair were intently watching the events of the killing game together while Light was on bedrest, and all of them watched with absolute horror as their beloved leader, Junko, embraced the Final Despair and executed herself, releasing the six survivors back into the world.</p><p>Light himself had never been much of a Junko worshipper. However, he also knew his circumstance was much different from the others, so it didn't surprise him that the others were horrified—or, well, Mikan seemed to be orgasming, so it was a little unclear.</p><p>He thought back to when he had first met Junko all those years ago, and he knew their meeting was not as by chance as she would have liked him to believe. It had been bruising to his ego to have been straight-up kidnapped, but it was better in the long run. It had been marvelously despairing to hear that nobody on the task force had looked for him when he was gone, and then he immediately got raped again by Misa.</p><p>Ah, miserable times.</p><p>He noticed that Komaeda was trembling, but he seemed a mix of happy and livid, "Komaeda?"</p><p>"It was supposed to be me," Komaeda seethed, "I was supposed to be the one to kill her." Oh, right, Nagito loved and hated Junko more than anyone.</p><p>"We need to retrieve her body!" Akane insisted, and Light frowned, </p><p>"Didn't we just watch her get flattened? I doubt that would actually help too much." He brightened, getting an idea, "Hey... remember that Junko kidnapped the relatives of the killing game participants? And those kids she won over. I have an idea."</p><p>"What idea could you possibly fucking have," Sonia snapped, "Junko just died!"</p><p>"Wait!" Komaeda got up, cupping Light's face, blushing, "This is perfect, our glorious successor to Junko—the first Remnant of Despair," Light groaned a bit, seeing that Nagito was drooling a little. Were all of these people horny for their ideologies—though Light figured he was one to talk.</p><p>Ryuk laughed, "Successor to Junko Enoshima, eh? Sounds interesting."</p><p>"Yes, it does." Light forced himself out of bed, noticing for the first time the bright red streaks in his hair which he supposed someone had done while he was asleep, "Those who want to retrieve Junko and Mukuro's bodies, go ahead. Sonia, Imposter, I need a flight to Towa city." </p><p> </p><p>OoOoO</p><p> </p><p>Near observed the recently escaped Ultimates, watching from above at the one he was most fascinated by: Kyoko Kirigiri, the Ultimate Detective. A girl who had achieved great things and wasn't even from Wammy's House.</p><p>Miaya was talking to the six, to restore the two years of missing memories. Near had been taking this time with the Future Foundation to speak to Yukizome and learn more about L during his time as a Hope's Peak student. It was fascinating to hear stories about L in his teen years.</p><p>But at the same time, something set him off about L's former classmates. Munakata seemed to blame despair for <em> everything, </em> Juzo was clearly gay for Munakata, and it clouded his judgment, and Yukizome... it was hard to describe. The best way he could describe her was white despair, and he had a feeling there was more to her than met the eye.</p><p>As for the Future Foundation altogether, Near knew why the Remnants of Despair had been running free for years, and nobody had caught them. Just from what he knew from Mello's note and hearing what happened to those who had chased after Light, the Remnants were a very tight-knit group of friends who could work together well and would die for each other. The Future Foundation, however, had a couple of people who could get along, but Near was positive at the very least Ruruka was going to try killing everyone the second things went badly. They just couldn't function as a unit.</p><p>Munakata, at the moment, was talking to Naegi, the Ultimate Hope, about having them become part of the new 14th division with the rest of the task force, a sector specifically for handling the Remnants of Despair. It also turned out that Toko Fukawa's alter was Genocide Syo.</p><p>Matsuda leaned over the railing with him, watching the new kids, "I hope we'll be able to find the Remnants soon and get everything fixed."</p><p>"Please don't say the word hope," Near looked up at him, "I've heard it now ninety times today, it's not even noon, and I woke up at nine. I am hearing this once every two minutes."</p><p>"Sorry," Matsuda rubbed the back of his neck, "It just kind of rubs off on you. But you're right. Words like hope and despair and Kira... I've heard them so many times that they don't even seem like words anymore."</p><p>"Glad to know I'm not the only one." He slumped, "Where's Aizawa?"</p><p>"Out looking for Misa. She's supposed to have a concert tonight, but nobody's heard from her since the Yellowbox Warehouse."</p><p>"Do you think the Remnants went after her?" Near wondered, "After all, they take pleasure in their own misery, so Light could have killed her."</p><p>"I..." Matsuda sighed, "For the first time, I'm grateful that Light probably didn't love her because, in hindsight, he seemed pretty miserable with her. Well, maybe in some twisted sense, he cared if she made him unhappy. And..." he ran his hands through his hair, and it seemed a sob was bubbling up, "Oh god..."</p><p>Near awkwardly patted Matsuda's shoulder in an attempt to assure him, and eventually, Matsuda managed to calm himself, looking up with a small and forced smile,</p><p>"Are you going to talk to Kirigiri?"</p><p>"Maybe when she gets the rest of her memory back," he whispered, "I'm going to talk to L."</p><p>"It's still shocking that he's been here all this time," Matsuda whispered, and Near nodded,</p><p>"Yes. I heard the Future Foundation planning a project to create a humanoid robotic body to restore him completely." Near whispered, "That would be nice, admittedly. I still will never forgive Kira for what he did, but maybe L returning to us would shock him." He dug into his pocket and held the one piece of the Death Note he still had. It was full of names, unable to be any more written on than it already was, but it showed two names: Quillish Wammy and L Lawliet. "But would it even work as long as L's name is on this paper?" He sighed, not knowing the answer, "They have the Death Notes, and Light has the names of everyone in the warehouse. Is it too much to hope that Kira has died and the information with him?"</p><p>"You said hope," Matsuda teased, and Near huffed as a thought crossed his mind, running off to talk to L.</p><p>"L, do you think there's a chance Misa Amane has been brainwashed alongside Kira?" L appeared on the screen, biting his thumb,</p><p>"I suppose it's possible. However, Light-Kun detested her and insisted that their relationship was one-sided and even confided in me that she was stalking and sexually harassing him. So unless he's incredibly addicted to despair, I wouldn't see a reason for him to. Sure, she's famous, but from what I gather, they have a literal princess on their side. That and Misa-San is astonishingly stupid, so she would contribute nothing to this."</p><p>"Did you hear that Enoshima is dead, and the survivors are members of the Future Foundation."</p><p>"I did not hear that, but I am glad any of them got out of that situation. Have you found any new information on Light-Kun?"</p><p>"No." His brow furrowed, "Why do you call him that? He betrayed you." L on the screen crossed his arms,</p><p>"How do I describe this? Because I still care about him in my own way. Once you find an equal, it's hard to not. And for a genius, there is no closer friend than the enemy, as only they can teach you where they are weak. And... I am not very different from him, at least the version of him that I knew. We are the same type of lying monster, so why wouldn't I have an intrigue in him?"</p><p>"I suppose you have a point." </p><p>He decided to talk to L for a little longer until he felt someone behind him, and saw it was the new boy, Naegi.</p><p>"Hello," Naegi smiled, "Are you Near?"</p><p>"I am, and you are Makoto Naegi." He huffed, seeing this young man was two inches taller than him. It wasn't fun being the shortest member of the Future Foundation. </p><p>Naegi cocked his head, "Sorry for asking, but why are you the only one here with an alias?"</p><p>"Because Kira is amongst the ranks of the Remnants of Despair, and I do not know if he is alive, but the Remnants have gotten their hands on Kira's killing power. But..." he sighed, "I would tell you since I don't see a point, but the chances of there being a traitor around here are high, and I don't want to run any risks."</p><p>"A traitor?" Naegi tensed, "What makes you think that?"</p><p>"Nobody here works well together outside their small friend groups, so it's easy to turn people against each other. I have no reason to trust those outside of my group and L, and you have no reason to put any faith in those who weren't with you in the killing game."</p><p>Naegi frowned, before chuckling, "You just need to have a little hope, and everything will get better! At least that's what I plan to have done. But anyway, I heard you were one of my superiors, so I wanted to introduce myself."</p><p>"It was a pleasure. But just a tip, avoid Munakata because while he's been the de facto hope around here, he's also a prick who would blame despair for if someone out soy in their coffee." Naegi nodded,</p><p>"Oh! What's your Ultimate?" </p><p>"Analytical Prowess. Well, it's nothing special because I was raised in an orphanage that worked like Hope's Peak, but my title isn't something given to me by Hope's Peak. Matsuda's a sharpshooter and Aizawa... I don't know." His eyes suddenly widened, "Oh no." </p><p>"What?" Naegi asked, but Near was racing down the hall already.</p><p>"Matsuda!" He found Matsuda quickly, "Did Light know about Wammy's House." </p><p>"Yes," Matsuda replied, "And a lot of the kids, why—" his eyes widened, and they both looked to each other in horror, "Oh no."</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Light had found the "Warriors of Hope" after very little searching, as they were talking in Towa Tower. He leaned heavily on his cane as he walked into the room alongside Kazuichi and Sonia.</p><p>The children were talking amongst themselves, and already from a glance, Light could tell who was in charge. Monaca Towa looked up to them and brightened, "Kazuichi!" She paused upon seeing the others, "Who are your friends?" </p><p>The pink-haired girl, Kotoko, if Light recalled correctly, pulled out a strange gun, "Demons!" This led to the other children taking up defensive stances.</p><p>"No, these are friends who are helping Big Sis Junko!" Monaca corrected, coming over in her wheelchair she clearly didn't need, "Monaca heard what happened to Big Sis Junko, and we're all very sad."</p><p>Light nodded, "Yes, we all heard as well. I am Light Yagami, the successor of Junko Enoshima. You may know me as Kira."</p><p>"Kira?!" The redhead boy, Masaru, was the one to recognize the name more than the others, "You killed my father! You stole that kill from me!"</p><p>The blue-haired child, Nagisa, calmed him, "Clearly that means we're all on the same side, and if he's the successor of Junko, then that would mean he's not a demon... not fully at least."</p><p>"That's right." Light bent down to their level, wincing a bit at the effort, "I've always wanted to protect children like yourselves from the demons in this world, and we all share the same goal. I want children to not have to live in fear, so we can all be happy and free. Isn't that what we all want?" Nods from the children and Light knew exactly how to go about this, "Well, I need your help if we want this dream to come true."</p><p>"Huh?" Kotoko relaxed slightly, "What do you need our help with?"</p><p>"In England, there is an orphanage, but the people who run it are awful demons who drive the children to madness and torment them. The one I love was raised there," Light wiped away crocodile tears, "And they broke him, and all of those close to him became demons themselves."</p><p>He noticed Nagisa tense, meaning this hit close to home, "What—What are they doing to those children?"</p><p>"I don't know all the details," Light forced a smile, "But can you help me and destroy that wretched place and kill the adults running it? Sonia can help you all get there in a jet."</p><p>Masaru turned to the other kids, "As the Hero and leader of the Warriors of Hope, I say we should go!" </p><p>The kids cheered, and Light noticed traces of slight annoyance on Monaca's face, and he got another idea, "You have a plan of your own, correct?" Monaca shrugged, and Light smirked, knowing she was the most like Junko than the others and had an ulterior motive to bring despair to the world. "I want you to work on your plan here, and we shall come back with the rest of the Warriors of Hope once we deal with Wammy's House." </p><p>Monaca then realized they were on the same page and nodded, "Yeah, Monaca can't be very helpful because she's in a wheelchair," she slumped, and Light thought about asking why she talked in the third person, but then decided against it.</p><p>He stood up, offering his hand to take, "Come along, let's go make sure justice is served."</p><p> </p><p>OoOoO</p><p> </p><p>"We have to go to England," Near pleaded to Munakata, "If Light is alive, that is where he would strike. If we want to capture the Remnants of Despair, that is where we should look."</p><p>Munakata looked down at Near with contempt, "The Remnants of Despair are going to focus on Japan, and if Kira is injured, he wouldn't be traveling."</p><p>Matsuda chimed in with anger, "You don't know Light like I do—he was like a brother to me. If he is alive, he will not be sitting around. He will be enacting a plan as we speak, and it will be a slaughter now that he's been revealed as Kira."</p><p>Yukizome was sitting on the edge of the table, "But he hasn't been exposed publically—just with the task force and Future Foundation. He might still be careful."</p><p>"Yeah, Light might be careful," Near agreed, "But he also has tons of allies who don't need to be careful. It would be better to try and handle multiple of the Remnants, even if Light isn't there personally."</p><p>"We need the 14th Division here," Munakata insisted, "And that's an order."</p><p>There was quiet for a moment, then Matsuda whispered, "You're not my Chief." He left, and Near followed as they found Aizawa, who looked like he had seen a ghost, "Aizawa?"</p><p>"Misa's dead," Aizawa whispered, "Maimed and decapitated." </p><p>Near didn't care about that, but Matsuda wailed as he was on the brink of snapping, all of this becoming too much to handle, but upon hearing Juzo coming close, Near pulled Matsuda into L's room and covered his mouth. If he showed any emotion that resembled upset, he would be labeled a terrorist and put to death, which was just as stupid as it sounded.</p><p>"Matsuda, you have to calm down," Near insisted, "The last thing we need is Munakata hearing you." Aizawa came over, putting his hands on Matsuda's shoulders, helping him coach his breathing.</p><p>Near moved over to L on the computer, clicking a few keys to explain the situation to him about Misa's death. L appeared on the screen,</p><p>"That is a shame," L looked dismayed, "Though I doubt Light-Kun was actually the one to kill her. Speaking of which, is he alive?"</p><p>"We still don't know." Near sighed, "We need to get to England because if Light is alive, he's going to attack Wammy's House."</p><p>L paused, "That's not good. I think I can get into the network to get you all a plane, but you have to be careful since Munakata doesn't listen to me even though we all know I am much smarter than he'll ever be."</p><p>Aizawa ran his hands through his hair, "Can we even get there in time to stop this? I doubt Light personally would kill the children, but who knows with the others."</p><p>"Light's insane," Near said simply, "But I am curious about what Junko did, because all of you agree that he wasn't always like this, and while the notebook may have messed him up, Junko must have done something too. I wonder how all of it affected his brain."</p><p>"Done." L said, "A jet will be here for you in an hour, and I made sure it looks like Munakata approved it. Please, make sure the children are safe."</p><p>"We will, L," Aizawa vowed, "Don't worry."</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>The Remnants of Despair had beat them there.</p><p>Even from from above in the jet, Near could see that painful and devastating fact plain as day, with the Monokuma robots running around killing innocents. Using his computer and the drones, he could see some brightly colored children forcing peculiar helmets onto the innocent orphans in his home of his.</p><p>He was caught off guard by the slight growl from Aizawa but figured it made sense since this man was a father, and to see children doing this and being forced into what seemed to be brainwashing helmets must be horrific.</p><p>"How did they beat us here so fast..." Matsuda whispered, "This can only mean..."</p><p>"It doesn't mean Light's alive," Aizawa said, but it was more like he was trying to convince himself, "He could have told them a long time ago, and only now that he's dead are they acting. But if he really is... I guess it's time to find out."</p><p>They landed a short distance away and hopped out of the plane, which waited for them above to avoid hijacking. They all knew Munakata would be giving them an earful later, but after six years of losing everything at the hands of Kira, none of them truly cared anymore.</p><p>Near chuckled a bit, knowing Munakata would have to go talk to L to even find out where they were, and the odds of that happening successfully in anything close to a reasonable time was unlikely.</p><p>It felt weird to actually be holding a firearm, even if it a form of a hacking gun, which he fired at the helmets on the kids to break them, and Aizawa helped usher them to safety as they were freed.</p><p>Matsuda had two guns, one an actual pistol and one for freeing children, showing off his skills as a sharpshooter and hopping the fence. He searched for any signs of the Remnants of Despair besides those brightly colored kids who were controlling the Monokuma bots. He turned to Near, </p><p>"You go for the kids?"</p><p>"No thanks," Near replied, "I'll find the adult Remnants. I'm still small enough to get one of those helmets—" he had to shoot a Monokuma, "And I'd like to avoid that. I'll search for Roger."</p><p>"Got it!"</p><p>These kids may have been here longer, but Near had lived here for almost his whole life. He knew the ins and outs of this place like the back of his hand as he slipped into a passage on the far wall that he learned L would always use to access his own room in secret, and from there, he managed to hide in A's old bedroom, which had become a tomb of the sort.</p><p>He was able to ease his breathing, not used to having this much exercise, as he looked out the window and was horrified to see a platform built and an execution block.</p><p>Near looked to where there was a rope in this room, neatly bound and sitting on the dusty chair. He cringed, knowing what that rope had been used for, but when he heard the robotic bears coming down the hall, he grabbed the rope and used to and tossed it up to the chimney that was only slightly higher up, climbing onto the roof.</p><p>From up here, he could see everything, and he turned to see a blue-haired boy standing up above, looking at the wreckage with a blank expression which only had slight satisfaction on it as he watched one of the caretakers of this place get gutted down below.</p><p>Near contemplated killing this kid, but when that boy turned with genuine terror at the sight of Near, he realized there was something else going on here. Was he just being manipulated?</p><p>"Are—Are you an adult?"</p><p>"Unfortunately, yes," Near muttered, "What the hell is going on? Of all the people Light would take advantage of, I didn't expect it to be kids."</p><p>"We're doing this for everyone!" The boy shouted over the chaos below, "This place is a prison for children, turning them into weapons and making them wish they were dead! They hurt people here!"</p><p>Near backed up a bit, realizing that technically, this boy was correct. He knew full well about the planned failure of Gen 1. How could he even argue with this?</p><p>"And what makes it anyone's right to kill people for your beliefs? We're not special—we don't choose who lives or dies!"</p><p>Everything fell silent, and Near slowly turned towards the execution stand, and to his growing horror, saw Roger on the chopping block, and the one to do the deed...</p><p>Was one Light Yagami.</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>Matsuda found himself stunned when he saw Light standing tall, a cane in his hand, which revealed a sword. His hair was messy with streaks dyed bright red, and his clothing was torn and bloody. He also had a black cloak.</p><p>All attention was on him, and Matsuda was frozen in pure shock, seeing what Light, who he had seen as a younger brother for so long, actually was. That twisted grin on his face, ignoring Roger pleading for his life. </p><p>No... he wasn't ignoring it. He was reveling in it, more than gleeful as he did, as though he had been waiting for this moment for years.</p><p>He didn't say a word, except for sick giggling, as he raised his sword, and Matsuda finally snapped out of it and shouted, "Light!" </p><p>Light looked up as he was swinging down, but that didn't save Roger's life. Instead, the sword hit Roger's lower back, causing a scream from the older man.</p><p>Matsuda ran up the stairs to reach Light, amazed that he could move his shoulder just fine even though he remembered shooting Light repeatedly. Whoever Mikan was, she was good at what she did.</p><p>When he got up there, Light was cackling, having clearly lopped off Roger's head, which had rolled into the crowd below, and he was doing a little dance on stage as though he was being crowned Prom King. That sickening joy of killing someone with his sword made Matsuda think back on those times they had spent together. </p><p>Was this who Light really was? Spinning with childish glee after killing someone, eyes swirling with a sickening combination of hope and despair? He wanted to believe that maybe Junko Enoshima had done something to him, but <em> when </em> had that happened? When had Light's kind smiles become fake?</p><p>Light turned to see Matsuda, "Are you here to kill me, Matsuda?" He asked it sweetly as though it was old friends reuniting, and maybe in some ways, it was. However, given the blood all over this execution platform and the slaughter below as some of the still brainwashed children used Roger's head like a volleyball, it was not like a happy conversation.</p><p>Matsuda pointed his gun at Light's head, knowing he could kill him right now. And he saw Light's expression change, but there was no fear. He flushed and was shaking as though he was almost... turned on. </p><p>He remembered this in the Yellowbox Warehouse, the idea of Light being almost orgasmic from what should be terrifying, but this also made it clear to him that Light really was scared. Something had just made it so that his brain thought pain is pleasurable.</p><p>He softened, "Light, please," he tried, "I'm not going to hurt you. But if you tell us what happened and help us capture the other remnants, we won't hurt you." It was a bluff. He knew Munakata would kill Light as soon as possible, and Matsuda didn't have the authority to stop him, but surely they could keep Light a secret.</p><p>But Light didn't seem amused by this, "No, I don't think I'll do this. I am the Leader of the Remnants! Do you really think I will give up the chance to make Kira's world a reality!?"</p><p>"This isn't what you want, Light!"</p><p>Light narrowed his eyes, "And what do you know about what I want?" He then stepped backward, and Matsuda ran over to the edge, seeing Light had been caught by the same large man who had ripped Ide's head off...</p><p>He was glad Aizawa was busy with the children because to see the man who murdered his best friend might drive him over the edge.</p><p>The two Remnants of Despair got in an armored car and drove away at high speeds, and Matsuda knew it was too fast to catch up to. He used his hacking gun to disable the kids' helmets, who quickly realized what they were doing and began screaming or crying.</p><p>He noticed Near on the roof, seeming in shock. Aizawa arrived in the jet, shouting for the kids to get inside the plane, and the ones who weren't controlled did. There were still multiple Remnants here that Matsuda could see, but he also knew the three of them couldn't win against at least five other people here.</p><p>They had many kids, and that was all they could do and hope for the best. He helped more kids inside, and they picked up Near, and they headed back to Japan.</p><p>Matsuda realized he was soaked in blood, and he had to sit down, trembling with a blanket around his shoulders. Aizawa sat down next to him, crying children clinging to him as the closest thing to a father they could have.</p><p>"Is Light..."</p><p>"Alive and well," Matsuda muttered, "Well... physically well. Not mentally well. It—" he had to keep back vomit, "It was <em> really </em> bad, Ai."</p><p>Aizawa sighed, and he held a small three-year-old to his chest, soothing the little boy, "We were right about the Remnants, and Munakata is still going to give us hell. I never understood murder until I met that man."</p><p>"Didn't you also say that someone really needed to kill Demegawa?"</p><p>"Yeah, but I wasn't even tempted to do the deed myself like this time." He leaned back, looking to Near, who was staring blankly into space, "Do you think Near's going to be okay?"</p><p>"He's lost everything," Matsuda whispered, "We got used to that, but I don't think he has yet." He pulled a shock blanket tighter around him, "Ai... I'm scared. That's not the Light I know. Every time I look at him, I still remember spending time with him and thinking we were family."</p><p>"It's not going to get easier," Aizawa muttered, "Ide... he always told me that even though the past sucks, we have to look forward. I know I can't look too far ahead, but if we break it down, so we know what we have to do, it will at least be easier to function."</p><p>"What's next on the list?"</p><p>"Taking care of these kids and dealing with Munakata."</p><p>He rested his head on Aizawa's shoulder, "We'll face it together, right?"</p><p>Aizawa sighed, ruffling Matsuda's hair, "Yeah. Together."</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
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    <p>Upon returning to headquarters, all three of them were arrested for supposed treason. However, Yukizome immediately attempted to dissuade Munakata from this conviction since they had saved dozens of children, who were even now crying for Aizawa.</p><p>The chairman had decided almost immediately that what they had done was disobey orders, but that was nowhere close to treason in this circumstance.</p><p>Munakata looked at the three of them. Matsuda looked down at the ground, still shellshocked from how he had seen Light yesterday. Aizawa and Near looked the other man dead in the eye with matching unimpressed expressions. Aizawa glanced between Near and Munakata, wondering momentarily if they were in some way related, but he passed that thought to the side as Munakata spoke.</p><p>"So this was the world's last hope? Even as we speak, the Remnants of Despair and wreaking havoc. Victim piles upon victim."</p><p>"And yet we're here, with you pissed at us for being right, and we probably could have captured at least five of them with proper backup." Aizawa snarked, "Is that it? Are you just mad we have more experience with Light and knew where he would go?"</p><p>Munakata leaned forward with a cold expression, "Don't get cocky just because the chairman defended your actions. You still willfully disobeyed orders. You're not even an Ultimate, so why are you here?"</p><p>Aizawa narrowed his eyes. It was strange being the only person on the Future Foundation who wasn't to some degree an Ultimate. But there was no way he was going to give Munkata that satisfaction, and he gestured to the door. "Does that matter? I'm clearly better at your job than you are. Now can we leave? I have children to tend to. Even if you are higher ranking than me, I have quite a considerable amount of seniority over you."</p><p>The two looked at each other while Near fought back laughter seeing Munakata so utterly stunned by someone not giving a damn about what he was saying or having their abilities questioned. Aizawa quickly pinched Matsuda under the table to snap him out of his shocked state before he got murdered for any amount of negative emotion.</p><p>"Fine." Munakata growled, "But don't expect you'll be let off if you disobey orders again."</p><p>"Fine," Near got up, "Just don't think we'll be following <em> your </em> orders then, since we always disobey stupid." He ignored the look of murder in Munakata's eyes as he gestured to Matsuda, who forced a smile almost identical to his normal one, which contrasted the fact he was still covered in dried blood.</p><p>"Sorry," he rubbed the back of his neck, "I'm just a little tired. I'll probably get some sleep after a shower."</p><p>When they left the room, all of them heaved a sigh of relief as Matsuda glanced up at Aizawa, "Thanks for taking charge there. I might be dead without you."</p><p>"I still owe you a life debt," Aizawa replied, thinking about the warehouse when Matsuda had been the one to pull them away as their friends were slaughtered in front of them. Aizawa forced himself to focus on his breathing, seeing Ide, the one who had stayed by his side ever since they were teenagers—the one who had stopped him from falling into despair countless times while trapped in a loveless marriage—die graphically right in front of him. It played in his head again and again without mercy, and he wondered how everyone else here could maintain normal cheer with everything they had gone through. </p><p>"Yeah, but still, thanks. Can't be easy dealing with him."</p><p>"I dealt with my parents for most of my life, and trust me when I say this is not my first time dealing with entitled, pompous workaholics who think everyone is a servant." He turned to Matsuda, "Hey, go take a shower and try to get some sleep before you collapse. Near, same with you."</p><p>"What about you?" Matsuda asked, and Aizawa gestured to the door down the hall,</p><p>"I have children to tend to." He walked into the room housing the kids, who all ran up to him crying for the parent figure they so desperately needed. Aizawa smiled fondly to the young ones, picking up two, one in each hand, "Come on, little ones, it's late. Time to get some sleep."</p><p>"I don't want to sleep," one child whined, "I—I don't want to have bad dreams."</p><p>Aizawa softened as he bent down and thought of something, "Will you try to sleep if I tell you all a bedtime story." He looked up and noticed Nozomu was curled up in a ball in the corner of the room while Yumi was probably in her therapy session.</p><p>The children all nodded for a bedtime story, and Aizawa sat down in the rocking chair, picking up Nozomu and brushing his tears out of his eyes. Nozomu's eyes lit up at his father's affection and nuzzled up. The other children sat on the floor as Aizawa thought of a story to tell.</p><p>"Long ago, people lived in peace, embracing hope and bathed in the warmth of light. Everyone loved the light." He imagined the tale he had told his children for many years. "But peace couldn't remain for long, as people began to fight over it—they wanted to keep it for themselves, and when that couldn't happen, darkness and despair were born in their hearts. The darkness spread, swallowing the light and many people's hearts. It covered everything, and the world disappeared. But small fragments of hope survived in the hearts of children." </p><p>He saw the children's fear ease, and Aizawa placed a finger to Nozomu's chest over his heart. He hadn't thought before about how his son's name meant hope. Perhaps that was why everyone in the Future Foundation was so fond of the young boy, simply for what his name represented.</p><p>"With these fragments of light, children will rebuild the lost world. For now, true hope sleeps, deep within the darkness. That's why everyone is still scattered, divided from each other. But someday, a door to the innermost darkness will open, and the true light will return. So, listen, children. Even in the deepest darkness, no matter the pain you may feel now, there is no need to be ashamed in it; there will always be a light to guide you, even if right now it's hard to see. Just believe in the light, and despair will never defeat you. Your hearts will shine with its power and push the darkness away."</p><p>"So does that mean the Remnants of Despair will be defeated?" A little girl asked, and Aizawa nodded.</p><p>"That's right. I know the grown-ups make a big deal out of it, but no evil force remains forever, so justice will prevail. But it's your job to help make sure the world is brighter than ever when we defeat the remnants. Can I trust you all with that job?"</p><p>The children cheered, and Aizawa began the process of tucking them all into bed.</p><p>"Good. Now I want you all to try your best to sleep tonight, alright? You're our hope for the future, so we can't have you all exhausted." He was already disturbed by the number of times he had used the phrases hope and despair in this encounter. However, it helped to soothe the kids, so he decided to take advantage of that as he turned on a nightlight before shutting off the overhead light and leaving the room.</p><p>He was startled to be face-to-face with Yukizome, "Maybe you're an Ultimate Child Caregiver. I've been trying to put them to sleep for hours."</p><p>Aizawa sighed as he walked down the hall towards his room, "I don't need to be an Ultimate to know I belong here, don't worry about that. The kids just trust me because I was there when they needed rescue." He turned to Yukizome, "How do you put up with Munakata? He walks around like he owns the place, and he's not even the chairman."</p><p>Yukizome smiled, "I know he seems cold, but he's actually nice when you get to know him. Maybe try to see things from his perspective."</p><p>"No thanks, I'm not in the mood to terrorize people for having reasonable negative emotions." He stopped at his door, "Well, sleep well, Yukizome. I'll be back to work in the morning." </p><p>He shut the door in her face, missing her expression change with swirling eyes the moment he turned around.</p><p> </p><p>...</p><p> </p><p>Near sat in the shower, hugging his knees to his chest, feeling the hot water rinsing the blood out of his hair, returning it to the normal white color instead of a messy pink.</p><p>He had been able to hide his emotions easily while with everyone else, but now that he was alone, he wept for everything he had lost in such a short period. He had lost Mello and Matt, he had lost the SPK... and now he had lost his home. He had nowhere to return to when all of this was over. All he had left were Aizawa and Matsuda, and it was only a matter of time before he lost them too.</p><p>He stayed in the shower until the water turned cold, and he walked out, putting on pajamas, looking much more like he usually did, instead of the suit and tie he was forced to wear every day with this damn foundation. Once he had been here longer, he wouldn't need to wear such a hassle of a uniform, but he was stuck with this for now.</p><p>Maybe he would sit and talk to L in the morning, but he wanted to embrace L and be assured everything would be okay. But that would never happen—he was lucky to be able to talk to L at all.</p><p>He laid down in bed and stared at the wall. Seeing Light murder Roger the way he did was bound to haunt him for years to come. Why couldn't he have been lucky, and Light died from his wounds?</p><p>But they would capture Light and the other Remnants and bring them to justice. Near wanted to stay to his conviction that he would only capture Light and not kill him, especially now that he wanted to know what Enoshima had done to make him the way he was.</p><p>But hearing the screams of children, brainwashed and forced to commit violence against their will, were scarred even when freed...</p><p>He wasn't sure he would be able to spare Light's life.</p>
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